SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame softball team opened the 2023 home schedule with an 11-3 five-inning victory over the visiting Miami (OH) Red Hawks. The Fighting Irish have now opened the home schedule with a run-rule shortened victory in each of the last three home openers. Notre Dame improves to 17-7 on the season, while the Red Hawks fall to 14-9.
Payton Tidd got the ball to start. The graduate student worked 4.0 innings in the circle to earn the win. She gave up five hits and two earned runs, while striking out four. Her four strikeouts tie her for ninth all-time in program history, with 445 total punch outs. Shannon Becker worked the fifth, giving up a run and recording a strikeout.
The Irish offense went for 13 hits in the contest, with two players driving in four runs each. That equals the total number of four-RBI performances during the 2023 season to this point. Joley Mitchell went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI and hit a home run. Leea Hanks added a 3-for-4 performance with a homer of her own and a homer. Carlli Kloss and Payton Tidd added a pair of two-hit performances. Tidd drove in two with Kloss adding on RBI. Karina Gaskins, Jane Kronenberger and Mickey Winchell each added a hit in the win.
How It Happened
The Irish took a lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring three times. With two outs, a double from Gaskins started the rally. Lexi Orozco walked and Mitchell drove a single through the left side to score one and both moved up on the play at the plate. Tidd drove a single up the middle that was cut off by a diving shortstop who flipped to the second baseman who fired home attempting get Mitchell trying to score. The Red Hawk catcher mishandled it, as Mitchell scored and Tidd took second on the play.
Miami cut into the lead the following half inning, connecting on a two-run home run to cut the lead to 3-2, Irish.
A three-run homer by Hanks extended the Irish lead in the fourth to 8-2. Singles from Kronenberger and Kloss put two on for Hanks to hammered it over the wall in right center.
Back-to-back singles started the fifth for the Red Hawks. A ground ball moved them into scoring position and a fielder’s choice brought in a run to cut the lead to 8-3.
Mitchell led off the bottom of the fifth with a bang, hitting a solo home run to extend the lead to 9-3. The Irish added two more runs to end the game with a run-rule victory. Tidd and Winchell singled to put two on. Kloss drove a hit back up the middle to bring in one, and Hanks ended the game with a single to left center to drive in Winchell to give the Irish the 11-3 victory.
Up Next
The Irish return to the field tomorrow night as they take on the Western Michigan Broncos at 5 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium.